Cuddling a kitten almost certainly won't kill you

Conclusion The media headlines may sound ridiculous, but taking basic hygiene precautions when handling any animals, no matter how cute they are, is sensible advice. Although CSD is unusual and does not often cause serious illness, it can be a threat to people with a compromised immune system – for example, those with HIV or taking immunosuppressant drugs. Scratches and bites from any animal can get infected by bacteria carried by the animal. Even if it's not the bacteria that causes CSD, infected wounds can be painful and cause illness. It makes sense to teach children in particular how to interact safely with animals to avoid scratches and bites that could get infected. If the incidence of CSD was the same in the UK, there would be 2,907 outpatient cases in the UK each year. But this study doesn't tell us whether the incidence is the same here as the US. As the incidence varies between different states in the US, the chances are it will be different in the UK. There are also some questions about the validity of the figures – we don't know whether all the cases had been positively diagnosed using bacteria analysis, or whether they were probable diagnoses. It's also possible some cases were misdiagnosed as other illnesses. While cat owners can be reassured that their pets are unlikely to kill them, everyone should know about hand washing and safety around pets.   Links To The Headlines Cuddling kittens can kill you, warn scientists. The Telegraph, September 19...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medical practice Source Type: news